Pakistan's Senate to probe Test selection

A sports committee of Pakistan's upper house has summoned cricket officials and selectors over "injustice in selection" in the Test squad which is currently touring England, officials said on Wednesday.

cricketUpdated: Jul 01, 2010 12:15 IST

AFP

A sports committee of Pakistan's upper house has summoned cricket officials and selectors over "injustice in selection" in the Test squad which is currently touring England, officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan's 17-man Test squad has come under severe criticism from former and current players, while some of the members of the selection committee reportedly showed displeasure over not being consulted.

The squad was announced during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka earlier this month with only chief selector Mohsin Khan in attendance, while other selectors were in Pakistan.

The head of the Senate's committee on sports, Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needed to explain itself.

"We have come to know that there are injustices in the team selection and to probe that we have summoned officials and selectors in a meeting in Islamabad on July 9," Qureshi said.

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan was not included despite his indefinite ban -- imposed by the PCB in March over disciplinary problems -- being overturned earlier this month. Chief selector Khan said Younis's name was not cleared by the PCB.

Test regulars Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami also failed to get a place in the squad, while some top performers in the domestic cricket were also overlooked.

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad lashed out at the selection and demanded an appointment with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, a patron of the PCB.

"PCB matters, especially selection matters, have gone wayward and I will convey this to the PCB patron," Miandad said of the squad after its announcement on June 20. Iqbal is Miandad's nephew.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia in a series shifted to England over security fears. They will then play four Tests, two Twenty20 and five one-dayers against England.